We’re in the thick of winter, friends! At least, I think we are. I went out for a run in a tank top yesterday, so, who knows. Maybe I have my seasons all mixed up. Is it unseasonably warm where you are, too?

Whatever may be the case, I never need much of an excuse to make a good ‘ol hearty soup. And this Thai-spiced potato leek soup . . . it’s the mother lode.

I know, it’s not the first time you’ve seen a Thai-flavored soup here. But geez, that combination of ginger, garlic, lemongrass, and Thai chili works so well with a potato soup, too. One sip of this soup, and I was brought back to my childhood, to the jook (or congee) that Mama Lin spent hours making.

Of course, on a weeknight, I don’t want to spend hours cooking a soup! Good thing for us, this creamy beauty takes about 30 minutes and 8 ingredients to make. Guys, this soup is calling for you.

MASTER MY MISTAKES / COOKING NOTES

Use Low Heat to Cook Leeks: I didn’t use as much oil to cook the leeks, so I used low heat to cook the leeks to prevent burning.

Blending the Soup: I blended this soup with my immersion blender and my Vitamix, and I thought that it was much easier using the immersion blender. The process of transferring piping hot potatoes and broth into the blender and then having to clean it out was a bit much. The soup won’t be quite as smooth when you use the immersion blender, but that’s exactly what I wanted.

Pressed for Time? If you don’t want to go through the effort of prepping the different herbs, try using the lightly dried herbs or stir-in pastes from Gourmet Garden. I’ve been using them a lot over the past few weeks, and they’re such a time savor in the kitchen! (P.S. I’m not getting paid to say this. I just like their products a lot!) Do note, however, that their stir-in pastes are not vegan.

If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes by leaving a comment, rating it, or sending me a message! Or take a photo of the food and tag me on Instagram so that I can give you a fist bump. I love seeing your creations!

Chop off the ends of the leeks. Slice leeks in half lengthwise, and fan them out a little. Run leeks under water and clean out any dirt. Slice leeks into 1/4-inch thick half moons.

Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over low heat. Add leeks and cook until their softened, about 8 minutes. Stir often to keep leeks from burning. Add garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and Thai chili and mix well. Add potato chunks, broth, and water.

Bring up heat to medium-high and bring broth to boil. Reduce heat and let soup simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, partially covered, until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. Turn off heat and season soup with salt and pepper. Using an immersion blender or a high-speed blender , blitz soup until smooth.

Faith (An Edible Mosaic)January 28, 2016 at 5:07 am
We are definitely in the thick of winter around here! There is still at least 2 feet of snow on the ground, lol! This is the perfect thing to warm up with. You can't go wrong with Thai flavors, and I love that this hearkens back to your childhood. And I adore that first photo - so cozy! xoxo

LisaPost authorFebruary 4, 2016 at 12:32 pm
Faith! I hope that thinks have warmed up since the storm! My friends who live in DC posted photos of the snow storm, and I couldn't believe it! I never got that kind of action when I was living there!

Amanda PaaJanuary 28, 2016 at 5:16 am
can't believe you went for a run in a tank top?! says the MN girl who can't go outside without hat and mittens every.day.
which is just the reason to make this warming thai soup. and thanks for the tip on cooking the leeks at low heat!

amberJanuary 28, 2016 at 3:12 pm
Yum! This looks and sounds so delicious. I love Thai food ... I've never cooked with leeks before, so this will be a first for me! Can't wait to try it :)
Gorgeous photography. Love the bright white lighting :)

GenaJanuary 29, 2016 at 3:33 am
Absolutely love this, Lisa! I made potato leek soup last week and left mine a bit chunkier, but now I'd like to try a smoother version. Thanks for sharing this hearty, warming wintertime food.

Rakhee@boxofspiceJanuary 29, 2016 at 4:53 am
It really is strangely warm here too in Holland Lisa. Kind of a bummer because its nice to have real seasons. Its also not warm enough to just go out in a t-shirt either. I could use a bowl of this soup. It looks so good. And I love Thai anything! :)
Your pictures just get better and better. <3

ElizabethJanuary 30, 2016 at 10:06 am
I have always loved potato and leek soup, but so many of my friends have never tried it before. I'm totally going to make this the next time I have a winter dinner party. I love the idea of adding a Thai twist to a classic favorite. This could easily become addictive.

Traci | Vanilla And BeanJanuary 31, 2016 at 9:38 am
What's that? A run in your tank? It's sooo cold here... I'll bundle up in my fleece for a walk today! Love your spin on this classic, Lisa. Totally warming and so delicious! No doubt week night meals need to be quick and easy... and cozy, especially during Winter! I know this tastes divine!

Nagi@RecipeTinEatsFebruary 15, 2016 at 1:39 pm
Oh my gosh! I saw this on Pinterest!!! YUM, this is totally my type of soup. Keep up the Thai flavoured soups, seriously, can't get enough of them!!! I love that I could literally make this right now, I have everything!!!

deliciouslynellApril 29, 2016 at 11:54 pm
Hi! I made a batch of this soup last night, and it worked really, really well. I've never made leek and potato soup before, but it seemed really straight forward and flavoursome based on your recipe! I made it using a gluten-free vegetable stock, Massels. And as I wasn't sure from the ingredients whether you meant lemongrass paste or not, I used the paste. Fresh lemongrass doesn't pop up where I live unfortunately. It was really good! I had to boil the potatoes for an extra ten minutes to get them soft, but then I used a combination of the immersion blender and a potato masher to get it all nice and smooth. I ate some last night, then ate some this morning as well for breakfast. The flavour was definitely nicer the day after, but we also added some things like bacon and Worcestershire sauce (sacrilege, I know, but my family seems to add it to everything) and that really rounded it out. All in all I think this is a fantastic recipe, and the fact that it can be customised to suit individual tastes gets it two thumbs up. Thanks for posting it, and your photography is amazing!

Lisa LinPost authorMay 3, 2016 at 8:30 am
Thank you SO MUCH for trying out the recipe and for leaving a note about it! I bet it tastes very good with some bacon in there! I'll edit the recipe a little to clarify the lemongrass. Thanks again!